Ibrahimović: "It will be a very exciting, fantastic game"

"It will be a very exciting, fantastic game," Ibrahimović told UEFA.com. 

"We will be playing against the best team in the world, without doubt. Even when I left the team, I knew I'd left the best team in the world. But, for me and all the other parties involved, I think the best solution was to leave the club. Given the results for both sides, it was the best solution."

Success certainly lay ahead for both clubs in 2010/11, with Barça winning the Liga and UEFA Champions League and Ibrahimović helping Milan clinch the Scudetto after a seven-year wait.

"For me, it's important that you're happy when you play. If you're happy, it makes it easier for you. The way you feel off the pitch is the way you feel inside. I struggled there in the end, so the best thing was to move. I was a man; I stood up, we found a solution and I moved.

"I think Milan are the biggest club I have ever played with," continued the striker, who won the Italian title three times with the Rossoneri's eternal rivals Inter. "I felt at home from my first day here – they welcomed me with open arms. This city is my second home after Malmo, where I was born and spent many years.

"Some people said that it was impossible to make this move [after playing for Inter], but I'd already moved from Juventus to Inter and I think that was even harder. The past and the future don't bother me; I just try to give my best and achieve results for myself and the club I represent."

A thigh injury denied Ibrahimović a return trip to Camp Nou in September as he missed the 2-2 opening-day draw between the sides. Sitting that match out has galvanised his desire to perform well on Wednesday, although he is keen to keep the occasion in perspective.

"I was looking forward to that match," he said. "I was training very hard but I got an injury the day before. I was disappointed, but for me playing against a former team is nothing personal. Of course it's emotional, a big game, but in the end it's like any other game. There's no need to over-hype it."

"I think this game is more about prestige," said Ibrahimović. "It's good to come first, but sometimes it's good to come second; both can be positive or negative. When you're in the Champions League, you're bound to meet a strong team, and to win the competition you will have to beat the strong teams."

A UEFA Champions League winners' medal continues to remain absent from his otherwise immaculate collection, yet the six-time Swedish player of the year is relatively relaxed about putting that right. "A few years ago, it was my main objective, but if you want something too much you'll never win it," said the forward, who has scored in each of his three Group H outings so far.

"Now I just aim for all the trophies I can win. If I can win it, fine. Otherwise, nothing will bring my career down. All I ever tried to do was become a complete player and now I'm quite satisfied. And when you win trophies, it's not because you're the number one – it's because your team is."/Uefa.com/

Subscribe to this Blog via Email:

Click here to Subscribe to FREE email updates from "AC Milan Online Blog", so that you do not miss out anything that can be valuable to you!!